I can't not be pregnant

Question

This is a quote from a Gwyneth Paltrow interview where she talks about her miscarriage:

"It was awful," she told the Daily Mail's You magazine. "It happened really late, and I wasn't expecting it at all.
"For a long time I just couldn't understand that it had happened and why. I was like 'But I can't not be pregnant. I'm already past the first trimester, and I have three car seats in my head.' To this day I feel like I'm missing that kid. But it wasn't meant to be and you have to trust the universe. "

What does she mean by saying "I can't not be pregnant?" Is this "can't not" construction a grammatical and common usage?

possible duplicate of Are double negatives ever appropriate in English? — tchrist, May 18 '14 at 03:58
Yes, it’s grammatical, and no, it’s if not exactly common certainly not particularly uncommon. It serves a distinct purpose. — tchrist, May 18 '14 at 04:08

score 9 · Answer 1 · answered May 18 '14 at 13:26

9

It is perfectly grammatical and common, yes. It means precisely what the sum of its parts means, "[can not] [not X]". In this particular context, Ms Paltrow refused to accept that she was no longer pregnant.

The construction is exactly as common as the thought it expresses, no more, no less. If you want to say "can't not", then that's what you say. The British National Corpus has 16 cites for "can't not" and the Corpus of Contemporary American English has 91, across all registers and contexts. That is of course less common than "red car", say. But it is much more common that "lilac car".

answered May 18 '14 at 13:26

RegDwigнt

97,231

How to say this with "don't"?: "You don't not to eat" – Boyep Feb 17 '20 at 17:09
1

@Boyep You will need to explain what you are trying to say. Then I can tell you how to say it properly. – RegDwigнt Feb 17 '20 at 21:13
RedDwight I mean as in this sentence "He can't not eat" but I want to say "don't" instead of "can't", is it possible? – Boyep Feb 17 '20 at 21:21
@RegDwigнt Your lilac car is more of a lavender, plum, verging even on violet. – Mitch Feb 17 '20 at 21:23
2

@Boyer If you intend to mean that this person fails to refrain from eating, then you might say 'He doesn't not eat'. – Mitch Feb 17 '20 at 21:25
Do I need to say "don't not to eat or dont't not eat" or is it incorrect? – Boyep Feb 17 '20 at 21:26
@Boyep all the sentences you have mentioned so far are not English. It remains unclear what you are trying to say or why. – RegDwigнt Feb 17 '20 at 23:43

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered May 18 '14 at 21:42

I wish to be absent from work, but I can't be absent from work.
I hope I will not be at work on World Cup Final, but I can't not be at work.
I do not want to take my medication. But I can't not want to take my medication, if I wish to get well.

I am not pregnant anymore. I've lost the baby. That is depresssing because I can't "not be pregnant anymore". I have already invested so much in having a baby emotionally and materially. Look at all the baby clothes and shoes I have bought. Look at this cute set of toddler hoodies he would wear at two years old. He was going to create a mess and a ruckus and I would cheer him on.

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered May 18 '14 at 07:54

1

I can't not be pregnant

is grammatical. It means she lost the baby but cannot accept this painful fact.

answered May 18 '14 at 07:54

I think the answer is not demonstrated or illustrated enough. – haha Dec 14 '15 at 12:08

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered May 18 '14 at 13:07

1

I can't not be pregnant indeed is grammatical.

It means something along the lines of It's impossible that I'm not pregnant [=it can't possibly be true].

answered May 18 '14 at 13:07

Elian

43,007

I can't not be pregnant

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